Saying goodbye to an exotic pet in London
Before you call anyone in London, decide one thing: do you want a necropsy, preservation or cremation? It changes whether your pet goes in the fridge or the freezer.
- Fridge or freezer advice for London
- Written prices for small and large exotics
- Pickup from your home or exotics vet
London, Ontario
What arranging exotic pet cremation in London is like
London sits in a snowbelt area, and squalls blowing in off Lake Huron can bring heavy snow with little warning. Clear the front path before a collection if you can, and expect delays on snowy roads. From December into March the ground is frozen, which pushes any backyard burial into spring, and many London families decide cremation is simpler than waiting.
Many London families have seen the same vet for years, and that clinic is often the easiest first call, since most arrange cremation and can keep your pet for a day or two. You can also request quotes independently, particularly if a private cremation with the ashes returned matters to you. Ask for a written total covering collection, cremation and any container.
In a city like London, the exotics vet may be the only one for some distance, and that shapes aftercare. Necropsy is often possible, but samples may be sent to an out-of-town laboratory, which takes time and a courier. If you want to know the cause of death, refrigerate your pet (don't freeze) and call the vet the same day so they can tell you whether it's still worthwhile.
London's population is around 422,000, the 6th-largest of the 15 Ontario communities we cover. The nearest larger centre is Hamilton, about 72 miles (116 km) away, which is where some providers serving London are based.
Families in London often end up using a provider from Guelph (63 miles), Hamilton (72 miles) and Burlington (77 miles). That is normal: crematories serve a radius, not a single town, and the drive is priced into collection.
81.1%[1]
CANA projects the Canadian cremation rate will reach 81.1% by 2030.
9-12 years[2]
Pet sugar gliders live about 9-12 years; adults weigh about 85-170 g.
4-6 years[3]
African pygmy hedgehogs live an average of 4-6 years; adult males weigh 400-600 g and females 300-400 g.
3-5% of body weight[4]
Embrace notes cremated remains typically weigh about 3-5% of the pet's original body weight.
None of the figures on this this page are ours alone: they rest on Merck Veterinary Manual and Embrace Pet Insurance.
Cremation habits in Canada, and what they mean for keepers
With cremation at roughly 81.1%[1] for people in Canada, pet providers here often sell bundles built around a cat or dog: a wooden urn, a paw print, a certificate. For an exotic pet, parts of that bundle may not fit. A glider's paw print is barely visible, and a standard urn dwarfs a hedgehog's remains. Ask whether you can drop the items you won't use and pay only for the cremation and a small container.
CANA Industry Statistical Information (2030) is where the Canada figure comes from. It counts people; we use it because attitudes to cremating a pet in London tend to follow attitudes to cremation generally.
Timing exotic pet aftercare in London's climate
If you're planning to bury your pet or their ashes in London, the season matters: frozen ground in winter, dry ground in summer. For amphibians and aquatic pets, choose a spot far from water or choose cremation, because some amphibian diseases spread through water to wild animals.
Budgeting for an exotic pet's cremation in London
In London, as across Canada, most keepers arrange cremation through their vet, but crematories will also deal with you directly. Give the species and weight, and ask whether they cremate very small animals individually and what they expect to return. Collection, a certificate and a keepsake container are often extras.
The Ontario price table breaks costs down by size; our services page explains what sits behind each line.
Free tool
Cremation cost calculator
Estimate a realistic price range for your pet's size, location and the type of cremation.
Rules and paperwork in Ontario
You don't need a permit to have a hedgehog or sugar glider cremated in most places. But if your pet was a regulated species, if you want to keep parts such as a skull or quills, or if you plan to move remains across a state or national border, check first with the agency that issued your permit or with the national CITES authority. Burial rules for Ontario are below.
Across Canada, which exotic species may be kept is set by provinces and often by cities, and some municipalities ban animals that are legal a few kilometres away. If your pet was held under a permit, check whether you need to report the death. Winter matters too: frozen ground makes home burial impractical for months, so many keepers freeze or cremate and wait for spring.
For Ontario's rules on burying a pet at home or scattering ashes, see the Ontario guide. Local rules in London can be stricter than the state's, especially in homeowners' associations and rentals.
What to do next, in order
- Check that they've really died. A hedgehog that has gone cold and torpid, or a tarantula flipped over mid-molt, can look gone when it isn't. Warm them slowly if there's any doubt, and ring an exotics vet before you do anything else.
- Decide what you want first: a necropsy (post-mortem), preservation or cremation only. This decides how you store the body.
- Seal your pet in a labelled bag. Note the date, the weight and what species they are. Don't add tank water for a frog or newt.
- Refrigerate for a necropsy, freeze for preservation, and use either for cremation only. Aim to reach the vet within a day or two if you want a necropsy.
- Gather paperwork: any permit, CITES certificate, breeder or purchase record.
- Call a provider with the species and weight, then ask two things: have they cremated one before, and what exactly comes back to you.
- Get the price in writing, and make sure the total covers the certificate, the container and any pickup.
Honoring a pet most people never got to meet
London, Ontario, is known as the Forest City, and many pets here share homes with big, tree-lined yards in older neighbourhoods like Old South and Wortley Village, or in newer subdivisions on the city's edges. Students and young families also rent apartments near Western University and downtown. In a rental, check who controls the parking and the building door before arranging a collection.
there are guides for the big decisions and articles for the details, or look at how readers voted in our polls, The services page is the place to compare what is included, try the free planning tools. More local pages: Hamilton, Brampton, Mississauga and Ottawa, the Ontario overview and every city in Canada.
Reader polls
What would you choose?
Vote anonymously and see how other readers answered. The results are live counts from people who visit this site, so they show real opinions, not a scientific sample.
Would you want a necropsy (an animal post-mortem) before cremation?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Has a pet crematory ever hesitated over, or turned down, your species?
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If you had to decide today, which aftercare would you choose for your pet?
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Free tools to help you plan
Cremation cost calculator
Estimate a realistic price range for your pet's size, location and the type of cremation.
Ashes weight estimator
See roughly how much ash to expect back, by species and body weight.
Aftercare options compared
Compare private, communal and water cremation with burial on cost, timing and what comes home.
Questions people ask
Will I have to travel to Hamilton to arrange things?
Not usually. Providers based in Hamilton (roughly 72 miles from London) collect from here as a matter of routine, and the paperwork is done by email or phone. If you want to be present for a witnessed cremation, that is when the drive matters.
How do Canada attitudes to cremation compare?
CANA Industry Statistical Information (2030) puts the Canada human cremation rate at about 81.1%[1]. We show it on the London page because pet aftercare choices tend to track it: where cremation is normal for people, communal and private pet cremation are both easy to find.
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from London?
Usually yes. Guelph is about 63 miles away, Hamilton is about 72 miles away and Burlington is about 77 miles away, all inside a normal collection radius. Get the mileage written into the quote so there is no surprise on the day.
What if a crematory in London refuses my species?
It happens, usually because the provider isn't sure what will remain or whether paperwork applies. Ask your exotics vet which crematory they use for unusual patients, or try a provider in Toronto. Small exotics travel easily frozen in a cool box. You can also send us your pet's details and we'll check with providers for you.
Is communal cremation a bad choice for a very small pet?
Not at all. Communal cremation is handled with care; the difference is that no ashes come back. For a tarantula, a small frog or anything where little or nothing would return anyway, many keepers find communal cremation the more honest choice and spend the difference on a memorial they can keep.
Where can I get a necropsy for an exotic pet near London?
Start with the vet who treated your pet. Exotics practices in a city like London often do necropsies in-house or send the body to a veterinary diagnostic laboratory. Refrigerate, don't freeze, and call the same day. Ask for the fee in writing and ask the vet to release your pet to your chosen crematory afterwards.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] CANA projects the Canadian cremation rate will reach 81.1% by 2030. CANA Industry Statistical Information, 2030.
- [2] Pet sugar gliders live about 9-12 years; adults weigh about 85-170 g. Merck Veterinary Manual - Table: Sugar Gliders at a Glance.
- [3] African pygmy hedgehogs live an average of 4-6 years; adult males weigh 400-600 g and females 300-400 g. Merck Veterinary Manual - Overview of Hedgehogs.
- [4] Embrace notes cremated remains typically weigh about 3-5% of the pet's original body weight. Embrace Pet Insurance - Bury or Cremate Your Dog? Costs, Pros & Cons, 2025.
- [5] Posted surcharges to witness or view a pet cremation range from $25 to $350, with a median of about $125 across four data points. Our estimate: median of [$25 guide low, $100 guide high, $150 NC provider, $350 VA provider]. How we calculate.
Find a London provider who takes your species
Tell us what you need and where you are. We'll reply by email with clear options and prices so you can decide in your own time.